This is a letter from Ray Reynolds, a medic in the Iowa Army National
Guard, serving in Iraq:

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home. And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends and
compare it to the version that your paper is producing.)

* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons
stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from
ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first
time ever in Iraq.
* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before
the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35%
before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils
are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side
with US soldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to
prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the
first time in 30 years.

Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts. So if you happen to run into Senator John Kerry, be sure to give him my email address and send him to Denison, Iowa. This soldier will set him straight. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC
Iowa Army National Guard
234th Signal Battalion

PS: Sorry, forgot to add this to my post, as I was at work and had to "leave" my BB screen quickly. I am NOT sure of the authenticity of this letter, but I have read elsewhere that we have provide many "good" things to the people of Iraq, as well as some of the negative. The point of my post was that we are not all mistreating prisoners, blowing up weddings, etc.... We are providing some good things for the common people of Iraq. Again, sorry I was not able to finish my original post, I meant to add this disclaimer!!!

PSS: My further research has shown the letter to be truly written, but with some inaccurate facts, incomplete facts, and some exagerration. But also with some 100 PERCENT TRUE facts, such as immunizing children, school attendance, and 100 percent of hospitals being open.

Again, the point is, the US is doing a LOT of good, while some bad things are happening over there. You can either chose to look at the good while trying to FIX the bad, or you can just concentrate on the BAD if that is what floats your boat!!

Close, Inmountains. That letter is about 50/50 in regards to the fact/fiction. still, I'd never deny that we're doing good things over there. I just have contention with the arguments that led us to be there in the first place.

Go back and check the facts IM. Some of these were occurring before our occupation.
I also don't think this is the story either. If there is a war, the news will cover that war. That is the story. There are residuals from the war and that is also a story. However, to expect that to be the main story is ridiculous.
I just love how soldiers think they are journalists. I love how non-journalists automatically turn into journalist critics without knowing a fucking thing about journalism. This guy is a medic for Christ's sake, not a journalist. If he wanted to criticize journalism, let him get a journalism degree. Its obvious he doesn't have one because he is enlisted and not an officer.
If you try to pass off something with credibility as a journalism critique, get a qualified journalist to critique it next time m-kay IM?

Oh and if you want some credentials perhaps having won a statewide journalism award and having worked in the newsroom at a newspaper for 5 years as a graphic journalist at least gives me a beat on understanding what journalism is.
Its obvious that you cons don't know shit about journalism. You all have a hard fucking time figuring out what an op-ed is and you think an army medic is qualified to speak on behalf of the journalism profession. Then to top it off you listen to guys with Disc Jockey backgrounds (Rushiepoo) as being proficient in the area. Until you idiots apply yourselves in the area of journalism, keep your big yaps shut. Stop showing off your ignorance.
I suppose though that I am just as qualified to talk about how you do your job, or am I? At least based upon your logic I would be. Simply because I have an opinion. Based upon my experience I think there are a few jobs I am qualified for, but that's it.

So to critisize the work of a journalist you must have a journalism degree...therefore to critisize the work of an engineer requires an engineering degree...and to critisize the work of a quarterback requires being a professional football player...and to critisize the work of a president requires having been a..president? Thank you Bumble for clearing all of that up for me.

So to critisize the work of a journalist you must have a journalism degree

If you want to talk about what is right and wrong about journalism it seems you ought to know something about it on a professional level eh? Whether you have a degree in it or not is not as important as if you actually have been involved in the process day in and day out.
I can not see an army medic being qualified to criticize journalism anymore than a carpenter is qualified to criticize an army medic. The medic simply lacks any qualifications.

If you want to talk about what is right and wrong about journalism it seems you ought to know something about it on a professional level eh?

The point he's trying to make is, you are always criticizing our President and saying what he should and should not do. By your logic, since you have no clue what it takes to run a country, you have no grounds for doing what you do. Spin that.

Originally Posted by bumbleroot

I can not see an army medic being qualified to criticize journalism anymore than a carpenter is qualified to criticize an army medic. The medic simply lacks any qualifications.

Now, how the hell do you know that? How do you know this guy wasn't a journalist before he joined the army?

__________________"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth." - Umberto Eco

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

The point he's trying to make is, you are always criticizing our President and saying what he should and should not do. By your logic, since you have no clue what it takes to run a country, you have no grounds for doing what you do. Spin that.

By that virtue not a single criticism is valid.
Being president is an elected job. It is not one that requires qualifications since not many people have qualifications. Therefore any criticism of elected officials is valid since it is Me and my vote that they serve.
If you are willing to play the stock market and you put all of your money into Acme Corporation and you are not happy with what they do for your money you have a valid criticism. Therefore a president and any elected official is open to valid criticism.

If I invest money into a corpration listed in the stock exchange. And I am not happy with the preformance of said stock. The qualifies me to be critical of the way the corporation is run. You are saying here that just because I invest makes me a valid critic of the business and that I can tell them how better run a company by meerly the fact that I gave them money?

LOL....dude you need to hit up a refresher course on Formal Logic.

Just because I vote for said politician DOES NOT make me a VALID critic or enable me to tell him how to better serve his constituents or even create better legislation. It does however, show that you were taken in by his words or promises while he ran his campagin.

Bumbles actually trying to say that we (the general public) are
just to damn stupid to criticise the media.

Being that the basic tenants for this whole story were overlooked by the criticizer it is obvious that critics of the media are not always aware of the context of journalism. For example, this guys whole criticism was that the war coverage ought to be on the positive news. Well, that is not as newsworthy. It doesn't step up to the level of front page story. This guy has never sat in a budget meeting. Therefore he has no idea what makes a story newsworthy or at the minimum front page worthy. For him or anyone else to make that criticism without having to actually been part of the decision process is invalid.

If I invest money into a corpration listed in the stock exchange. And I am not happy with the preformance of said stock. The qualifies me to be critical of the way the corporation is run. You are saying here that just because I invest makes me a valid critic of the business and that I can tell them how better run a company by meerly the fact that I gave them money?

LOL....dude you need to hit up a refresher course on Formal Logic.

Just because I vote for said politician DOES NOT make me a VALID critic or enable me to tell him how to better serve his constituents or even create better legislation. It does however, show that you were taken in by his words or promises while he ran his campagin.

In case you didn't know, shareholders are invited to the board meetings on a periodical basis. There are votes for boardmembers and they are proffered by shareholders. Look at your stock information that you get each year. It should tell you when these meetings are.
And the old adage "if you don't vote, you have no right to criticize" holds true on the converse. If you do vote, you have a right to criticize because the politicians are supposed to be serving YOUR interests. So criticizing them is perfectly valid unless you believe they are not supposed to serve your interest. If that is the case you obviously may as well give up your citizenship because you obviously don't support our constitution.

"If you try to pass off something with credibility as a journalism critique, get a qualified journalist to critique it next time m-kay IM?" Bumbledork

Hey Bumble, you say you have some expertise in jornalism!?!? When I originally posted, before my PS and PSS, ALL I DID WAS COPY AND PASTE A LETTER. I did NOT pass it off as anything, I did NOT make a judgement call, I did NOT agree or disagree, all I did was "COPY AND PASTE". If you want to disagree with the writer of the letter, then feel free to! But to even try to say anything about ME when I didn't write anything at all just shows how fast you jump to conclusions and get on your little Red Flyer wagon to spread the word about the evil cons!!! You may have journalism experience but I wouldn't hire you to proof read Spelling Flash Cards, you might complain that they had a conservative bent because the words were spelled correctly.

So, BEFORE you critique something Bumble, make sure there is something to critique!

I did NOT pass it off as anything, I did NOT make a judgement call, I did NOT agree or disagree,

When you start off a note with the following

Again, the point is,

That is called an opinion.
When you use this letter and the letter is about how journalism doesn't cover the war properly you pretty much by virtue of creating a post on here are supporting yourself with that post. If you are trying to imply that this post is meaningless than why are you even posting it?

I wouldn't hire you to proof read Spelling Flash Cards, you might complain that they had a conservative bent because the words were spelled correctly.

Based upon the poor spelling constantly used by conservatives on these boards, I don't think I know how to spell words conservatively.

A valid critic is someone with the PROVEN education and experience to be in a postion of authority on the subject at hand.

Can you explain to me how Rush Limbaugh is Valid then? By your measures he is not. Can you explain to me how Ann Coulter is valid? By your measures she is not. Need I go on?
Just so you know, I consider both Rush and Ann to be valid political critics. I don't believe they are right all the time and I also believe they skimp on their support but they are valid.

..:: Quote ::..
I did NOT pass it off as anything, I did NOT make a judgement call, I did NOT agree or disagree,
..:: End Quote ::..

When you start off a note with the following
..:: Quote ::..
Again, the point is,
..:: End Quote ::..

Hey Bumble, LEARN TO FUCKING READ! My quote, "Again, the point is," was made in my PS (6:17 pm)which was POSTED AFTER YOUR POST (3:37 pm)saying I was critiquing something. The point is, you ripped into me when I did NOT post anything of my own writing. Why the post? To show how stupid and reactionary you libs are, SCORE!!!!!!!!!!

The other reason to post this was for discussion and debate, it's the libs who want to turn everything into a flame fest.

The point is, you ripped into me when I did NOT post anything of my own writing.

If you try to pass off something with credibility as a journalism critique, get a qualified journalist to critique it next time m-kay IM?

Get a clue IM. I ripped into the fact that you were using someone else as a critic. Did I anywhere say "IM you have made a posting of which you know nothing of" No I didn't. I said that you tried to use the legitimacy of a soldier to represent a criticism towards journalism. The soldier is not qualified in that area. He hasn't a clue what is required in journalism. I ripped into your using the soldier for this purpose. And as you said- it was not your writing. And as I said- it was not your writing. So before you go blasting me for something, make sure you are clear on what you are blasting. Because I did not blast into you for writing something, I blasted into you for using someone else's words to form a basis for criticism.